“I was so angry. Angry with Liam for dying. Angry with God for taking him. Angry with myself for not calling him earlier in the day to tell him I was pregnant.” She looked over at Missy, watched her laughing as Little Earl ran off toward Serena, needing to touch her, wanting to hug her close. “Not that it would have changed the outcome, but at least he’d have known he was going to be a father.”

  “I’m so sorry, Ava.” Jack clenched his hands, but he kept them in his pockets.

  “It wasn’t until later that day that I found out what happened. Captain Price only told me he’d been killed.” She’d been too mired in grief to care about the details at first, too lost in a sea of pain. Knowing he’d died in the line of duty while fighting a fire and saving lives was one thing, but finding out he’d been shot, probably because he’d been trying to stop an arsonist, was something else entirely. As soon as she’d found out he’d been murdered, it all fell into place. She should have seen it sooner, and probably would have if she’d been thinking clearly. But as it was, Liam had said he was going to the police, and then he was dead.

  * * *

  It took all the willpower Jack possessed and then some to keep his hands in his pockets instead of reaching out to her, but he was afraid he’d spook her if he did. She stared at the piece of beach glass caught between her fingers for a moment, giving him a brief chance to study her.

  The dark circles around her eyes, the way her eyes kept flicking from Mischief to the parking lot, to the surrounding picnic areas that had begun to swell with guests, the way she held herself so rigid, coiled to run at the slightest provocation, all spoke of a woman who was terrified. “Look, Ava, I can’t promise I have the answers you’re seeking, but why don’t you give me a try? I know there’s more to this story, suspect there’s more to the circumstances surrounding Liam’s death that you’re not saying. And I think whatever it is has something to do with what has you so afraid now. I’m a good listener, and if nothing else, sometimes talking about your troubles out loud helps you find a solution you overlooked.”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “Do you believe in God, Jack?”

  “Wha...uh...” The question caught him off guard. Though he didn’t know exactly what he’d expected her to say, that hadn’t been it.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry, I just—”

  “No, no, it’s okay, I don’t mind answering. The question just took me by surprise.” He searched for the right words to express his feelings. He was in his own sort of dilemma right now, worrying about his mother, even if his sister would be there by tonight since she’d left immediately after Darcy’s call that their mom had been hurt. Although he’d tried to assure her things were okay, she’d insisted on coming. Not that he couldn’t understand; he’d felt the same way when he’d gotten the call that she’d fallen, a call that had him taking a leave of absence, packing up what he needed and returning to Seaport immediately to care for her until further arrangements could be made.

  As much as Jack wanted to return to the city, to the life he’d created there, it seemed something kept pulling him toward Seaport. Was that God’s will? Did God’s plan for him follow a different path than he’d expected? “I do believe in God. And my faith has gotten me through some very tough times.”

  “Do you believe God sometimes puts people in our lives or...” She hesitated, but he checked Mischief while he waited for her to finish. No matter what she had or hadn’t told the police, he had a suspicion the two of them were in some kind of danger. “I don’t know...maybe alters the path we’d hoped to follow, expected to follow?”

  The laugh blurted out before he could stop it.

  Her cheeks reddened, and she returned to examining the shell and beach glass she still held.

  “No, please, I’m sorry. It’s just...well... I was having the exact same thought when you said it. My plan was to come out here for six months to take care of my mother until my sister’s house sold and she could move back to Seaport full-time. Then I planned to return to New York City and pick up my life where I left off. But somehow, now, that plan doesn’t appeal quite as much as it once did.”

  She glanced up then, and her cheeks flamed even redder.

  He couldn’t resist any longer. Reaching out, he slid the curls that had gone frizzy and fallen into her face behind her ear, let his fingers linger for just a moment in the softness of her hair, then lowered his hand. “Please, Ava, talk to me. I want to help. Who knows? Maybe God sent us to each other for some reason we don’t yet understand. I want to help you if I can.”

  She nodded, dropped the shell and glass onto the beach, brushed the sand from her hands, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He died fighting a fire, but not from the fire. He was shot and killed.”

  Jack didn’t know what to say. He knew the pain he’d suffered, his mother had suffered, when his father had been killed fighting a fire, but to have her husband murdered? Well, that was different. “Was his killer caught?”

  She shook her head and checked Mischief again. “Would you mind walking back up toward the playground? It’s starting to get crowded, and I can’t always see Missy.”

  The panic in her eyes prodded him back up the boardwalk. “Sure, no problem. But will you tell me what’s going on while we walk?”

  “Before Liam was killed, he was investigating a string of fires he suspected were arson. He said he had proof of that, though he never told me what it was. He was going to tell me everything later that same evening, after he spoke with the police, but he never came home. Instead, there was the knock at the door and I was informed of his death.” She paused and struggled to control her tears, to somehow keep them from spilling over.

  His heart ached for her, for the pain she’d suffered, to be left grieving and alone under such tragic circumstances. “I’m so sorry, Ava. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.”

  She nodded and sniffed. “Thank you.”

  Hoping she wouldn’t take the gesture the wrong way but wanting to lend her strength, he took her hand in his as they crossed the grassy field to the playground. He’d only have another moment before they were back with everyone else. “What did the police say?”

  “Nothing, because I never called them.”

  “Why not?”

  “Liam didn’t feel comfortable going to the police. He didn’t trust them for some reason, though he never got to explain why. Then, when he finally told me he was going to them with whatever he had, he was killed. When I first found out he was gone, I was in shock, scared, grieving... I needed time to think about what to do. I searched the house, searched the flight bag he had packed and had ready for us.”

  The fact he’d packed a flight bag spoke volumes about the state Liam had been in, but with only seconds left for her to finish her story, he didn’t dare interrupt to ask about it.

  “But I couldn’t find the evidence he was talking about. And then, that night, while I was still trying to come to terms with his loss, there was another fire. And our home burned to the ground behind me while I ran for my life with nothing but that bag and a sniper shooting at me.”

  His grip on her hand tightened.

  “I fled Florida and made my way north, never staying anywhere more than a few months, just in case the shooter came after me. And I never looked back. I was too scared to contact the police. I couldn’t find anything about Liam’s death in the local papers I looked up online, except that he was killed fighting a fire. I figured the fact there was no mention he was murdered spoke volumes, so I just kept on running until I finally ended up here. For the first time, I thought I might finally have decided on a home for Missy and me. And then he found us, all because of a picture in the paper. He broke into the house, told me he’d...” She sobbed softly. “He insisted I had a flash drive he wanted, which I assume is the evidence Liam had on him. If I hadn’t volunteered at the hospital, hadn’t tried to be a part of the community here, maybe Missy and I would still be safe.”

  And he knew in that instant, by the look in her eye, exactly what Ava planned to do. And he had no intention of letting her do it.

  FIVE

  Ava lifted Missy onto the swing, then pulled the swing back a little and let Missy fly. “Hold on tight.”

  Missy giggled wildly. “Weee...”

  When she came back, Ava pushed again.

  Missy’s hair flew out behind her as she leaned her head back.

  Fear clutched Ava’s throat at the thought of Missy falling. “Hold on, Missy.”

  Her laughter floated back to Ava on the evening breeze blowing across the bay. “I know.”

  She had to relax. Her conversation with Jack, while liberating in a way, had also reminded her of the stark terror she’d felt while on the run, before she’d found what she’d thought could be a home, and now her nerves were strung taut. Missy’s laughter helped soothe them, but the reminder she couldn’t stay here, couldn’t build a life for them, brought an ache to her heart she didn’t think would ever go away. She’d worked so hard to achieve her dream of finding a true home for her and Missy, only to have it ripped away by a man capable of such senseless violence.

  “Higher!” Missy pumped her pudgy legs with every push.

  He could only take her life away if she allowed it. No matter what the circumstances, she still had a choice. She could stay and fight.

  “Help me, God, please,” she whispered. I’m so lost. I trust You, trust You to lead me in the right direction, but I don’t know what that direction is. Did You allow this man to come back into our lives to push me down another path? Or did You send Jack to help me stand and fight this time, to do the right thing so no one else will get killed?

  But no answers came, no sense of enlightenment, no urge to stay or run. That being the case, it was time to say her goodbyes and disappear.

  “Slide.” Missy squirmed and turned on the seat, then reached out a hand to Ava.

  “Don’t let go.” The swing twisted, and Ava’s heart lurched. She grabbed the swing, stopping the motion instantly as Missy jumped off and into her arms. Ava hugged her close—a moment longer than necessary—then set her on her feet and followed her to the slide that sat on the edge of the playground closest to the woods.

  “She gets bored fast, huh?”

  She turned to find Jack standing right next to her. A sign? It seemed every time she was poised to run something blocked her path. No, not something. Jack. “And she swings longer than anything else.”

  His smile shot straight to her heart.

  What was she going to do? It had felt good to talk to him, to have someone to share her burden with, to have a friend she could trust without fear of putting him in danger, since he’d already put himself there to save her and Missy. Except, if she were honest with herself, she’d have to admit to that small spark of attraction she felt every time he was near. Maybe she could ignore it and simply enjoy his company.

  They stood together, side by side, and watched Missy climb the ladder. For just a moment, Ava allowed the thought of a normal life to flicker through her mind, a life where she could hang around Seaport and get to know Jack better.

  “Ava, please, let me help you.”

  She stiffened and took a step away from him.

  “I know a cop, a good cop. His name is Gabe, and he was at your house last night. Let me talk to him, off the record, and see what options you have.” He stepped in front of her, laid a finger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “Please, Ava. Don’t run. At least, not yet.”

  Tears burned, threated to spill over. She fought them off. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself. Instead, she looked away.

  “Look, Ava, I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. I have no idea where my life is headed right now, and I know you’re pretty much in the same position, and normally, I wouldn’t say anything like this, but...” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then raked a hand through his thick hair. “I can’t explain what it is exactly, but I feel a connection with you, have since the first moment I met you. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a romantic connection, but it’s something, like I’m meant to help you, if you can understand what I mean. I don’t want you to leave, and I have a strong suspicion that’s what’s about to happen. Wherever the future may lead, I know with absolute certainty that at this moment, I want to stay with you, want to keep you and Missy safe, want to help you get the justice Liam deserves, and I want to keep this man from harming anyone else. Please, will you at least give me a chance to try to help you?”

  She kept her eyes averted, had to if she was going to have any hope of resisting his offer. A shadow shifted behind a row of bushes bordering the side street she’d planned to use to make her escape. She narrowed her gaze, trying to bring the dark object into focus, but it was no use. The setting sun had already begun to cast shadows too deep for her gaze to penetrate.

  “I’m sorry if I said something wrong.” He spoke quietly.

  Her heart ached, and she shifted to watch Missy, once again at the top of the slide. She shook her head. How could she explain to him that she didn’t want to involve anyone else in this? Couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else she cared for being taken from her? There was no way to explain she’d buried a large part of herself with Liam, and even before that, with her parents, with Tommy. “You didn’t say anything wrong.”

  She studied him for a moment as he watched Missy play, a wistful expression she doubted he was aware of on his face, and she had to turn away.

  When he next spoke, his voice was closer, right by her side. “I won’t pry. If there are things you’re not comfortable talking about, just say so. I’ll always respect that.”

  Oh, man... Why did he have to be so understanding? He was making it so hard to just walk away.

  “Mama, look.” Missy waved from the top of the platform, holding on to a bar above the rock wall.

  Why did they make these stupid playgrounds so high?

  “I can do like the big kids.”

  She leaned out through the gap, and Ava read the intent in her eyes an instant before she let go and jumped off. “Nooo... Missy.”

  The sound of an engine revving reached her an instant before a dark SUV plowed through the row of bushes and bounced over the grass bordering the playground, headed straight for them.

  Time slowed down. She screamed as she ran for Missy, but there was no way she’d make it.

  Jack dove in front of her, grabbing Missy by the arm a split second before she hit the sand. As the truck slammed into the rock wall she’d been standing on, Jack rolled out of the way with her.

  Ava dove to the side to avoid being hit seconds before the truck got caught up in the slide and finally came to a stop.

  A man she didn’t know ran toward the SUV, then ripped the door open. He reached in and grabbed something that made the engine stop racing before he shifted the truck into Park and turned it off. He scratched his head and looked around. “There’s no one in it. Just a stick wedged onto the gas pedal.”

  “Are you all right?” Ava fell to her knees and felt Missy’s arms and legs, certain something had to be broken.

  Missy sobbed, burying her head against Ava’s chest. “I sor-ry.”

  The muffled apology broke her heart.

  Jack stood over her, Big Earl and Serena on either side of him.

  “Is she all right?”

  “Is she hurt?”

  “I think she just got scared.” Ava sucked in a shaky breath, then set Missy back a little and wiped her eyes. “Are you hurt, honey?”

  She shook her head, her curls bouncing into her face.

  Ava brushed them back. “I’m sorry I yelled. I just got scared.”

  A tentative smile formed through Missy’s tears.

  “We’ve talked about this before. Are you supposed to do what the big kids do?”

  Missy glanced up from beneath her lashes and shook her head.

  Torn between the desire to make sure Missy understood she shouldn’t do dangerous things and the fact that if she hadn’t jumped when she did, the SUV would certainly have injured her, Ava forced a smile. “Come here.”

  Launching herself into Ava’s arms, Missy wrapped her arms around her neck.

  “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt. You are okay, right?”

  “Yup.” Stepping back, Missy wiped the rest of the tears from her face. “Can I play more now?”

  Ava couldn’t help the sigh that escaped. With no thought whatsoever to the SUV that had crashed through the playground, Missy was ready to move on to whatever adventure awaited her next. This child was without doubt the biggest blessing she’d ever received, and the biggest trial.

  Missy clasped her hands together against her chest. “Please.”

  “Let’s just sit on the bench for a minute and make sure you’re okay.” And wait for the police to get there so she could try to answer their questions. Because she was going to this time. Enough playing around. Thankfully, Jack had saved Missy, but what if there had been other children on the playground? That made her pause and pull Missy tighter while she searched her surroundings for anyone suspicious. What if he knew Missy was the only child playing at that moment? There had been others before the SUV had come through, but just then, it had only been Missy.

  Missy glanced longingly at the wrecked playground, then shrugged.

  Jack held out a hand, and Ava only hesitated a moment before taking it and letting him help her to her feet.

  Big Earl clapped Jack on the back, then laughed and shook his head, easing some of the tension. “Nice reflexes.”

  “That one’s a handful and a half.” Even though she laughed, Serena squeezed Ava’s arm in a silent gesture of support.

 

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